Windows Phone Apollo update may land in mid-2012

Microsoft is poised to issue its next Windows Phone update during the middle of next year, Engadget said Thursday, citing Nokia executive vice president Michael Halbherr. As we’ve heard in the past, the update is called “Apollo,” and Halbherr describes it as a “very different game” compared to the current Mango build. Reportedly, Apollo will introduce a new positioning framework for GPS and an integrated near-field communications (NFC) solution. Engadget said Apollo could be more “Nokia-fied,” although it would be out of character for Microsoft to leave Samsung, LG, HTC and its other Windows Phone partners out in the cold. It remains unclear if Microsoft will dub the new operating system “Windows Phone 8,” although it’s probable given Halbherr’s comments.